Web cameras, digital cameras, microphones, or other digital recording devices have become pervasive, particularly in peoples' homes. Typically, such devices are utilized to participate in digital communications with remote locations. Software may be linked to these devices that allows for gesture or voice command recognition. In such a system, it may be desirable to have devices that listen or receive a video feed to monitor an environment for a gesture or voice command. However, it may be difficult for a user to determine when the system is in this monitoring state or when it is actively communicating or storing information.
Some current systems include an indicator that indicates if an input device has power. If the device has power, for example, a LED may be illuminated and indicate to the user that the device is on. However, such an indicator cannot show when data being gathered by an input device is used in compliance with a privacy policy, e.g., the data is used only internally, or if the date is being sent to a remote site without the authorization of the system user.